militaryhistory

Over the last few days we have been witness to another well coordinated attack by extremists in India. Reports indicate that hundreds have been killed and/or wounded. These attacks serve as a reminder that the world is indeed a very unsafe place during this time. The primary target(s) of these attacks were westerners.This fact unto itself is very unfortunate, as Americans just went to the polls and proved that this is the most compassionate, the most free and the best place in the world to raise a family. The last election is a direct indicator of how Americans view their neighbors, no matter what the race or religious background may be. When we went to the polls, we told these maniacs that “yes we hear you”, we know that our occupation of Iraq is wrong. We know that the continued push into your national politics is wrong. And yet, the extremists refuse to hear us. It seems that our message has fallen on deaf ears. This last fact can only mean that it is not the present situation in Iraq and Afghanistan that is causing the hostilities, or our bad foriegn policy that is driving the armed response that we have now recieved. It can only mean that these Islamic extremists have placed a price on the heads of westerners as a referendum on our way of life.

So what should our response be? How does a civilized society deal with this type of hostility? At this point, one can only think, that any further negotiation, any type of dialouge or any type of good will, can only serve to endanger westerners more than they already are. Should the political dialouge now include a larger armed response by the United States and her allies? And as for our allies who backed away, because of the war in Iraq, do they now know that this problem is not going to go away on its own? Do they now know that our way of life is truely endangered?

What these terrorist factions do not understand, is that the United States is still the sleeping tiger that it was prior to world war two. We are fighting the current terrorist threat with one hand tied behind our back. Should the United States decide to do something like activatng the draft, and the infrastructure for this is already in place through the selective service registration. The result of this would give the Army the ability to activate divisions of troops within a year of doing so, rather that field brigade size units. How would the Pakistani government feel if we sent two divisions into the country? Considering the fact that they are a countrty out of control, and most definetly in possession of nukes, no one the world community could blame the U.S for seizing control of a rouge nation that is armed with such weapons. At this time the dooms day clock as moved that much closer to midnight, it is the duty of the civilized world stop the threat by whatever means necessary.

Over the last few decades, there has been and overt effort to rewrite American history. Revisionists have made an effort to make the settlement of the north american continent by europeans a crime equal to the holocast against the jews. In one recent news story, a native american mother stated; “that having their school children wearing pilgrim hats and indian bonnents is the same as having them wear Nazi uniforms and jews wearing striped suits”. This position is not only  just a popular myth, but sadly misinformed. And when people make such statements, they reveal their own ignorance and lack of education. Most americans have never studied history in any form and take their information from media outlets and the opinions of other talking heads who fail to do complete primary sourceresearch to locate correct information. The truth about american settlement is not as simple as saying that whites were bad, and everyone alse was their victim. These uneducated blanket statements are in themselves racist in nature and fail to reveal the real truth.

The truth lies in the real research, and tells us that, yes in fact there was warfare between whites and native americans. However, long before whites arrived on the continent, there was ongoing warfare between native american tribes and very few examples of true cooperation between indigenous peoples. The biggest examples are the loose confederations of tribes such as the Illini confederation, which is a good example of daily living cooperation between tribes, Techumse’s Confederation which was a militaristic cooperation and the later cooperation of plains indians during th late 19th century. In a book (The Hunting Pioneers 172-1840 by Robert John Holden) the author Robert John Holden tells us that no matter what the circumstances, the lives of native americans were going to change.  Holdens book explains that the downfall of the native american was partly his own fault as well as that of white settlement. He gives us three primary reasons. The first is the fact that native americans never had a united front to stop or slow settlement, the second is their dependence upon trade goods. Native americans came to desire trade goods such has axes, metals pots and pans and firearms and lastly their own willingness to sign treaties for trade in goods and money.

What is not mentioned in popular history is the fact that a majority of land was not taken from the native american by conquest. It was however obtained through treaty (as mentioned by Holden) and payment to native americans. A good example of this concerns the Ojibway (Chippewa) people who live in northern Wisconsin. The Ojibway had settled in what is now the Apostle Islands area on Lake Superior. The Ojibway had fled there because they had been victimized by other tribes in tribal warfare and wished to live in peace. As white settlement began to spread into that area, various treaties were signed by the Ojibway in which they were literally given milions of dollars in monetary payments, as well as annuities in the form of goods and supplies. The Ojibway in northern Wisconsin take pride in this fact and live today in harmony with their white neighbors. They have also successfully maintained their tribal rights to fish and hunt and live as they wish. This they accomplished by utilizing the US court systems, and like any american citizen gained their rights by doing so. The only exception to this was the fact that they were not allowed to practice their religion for approximately ninety years. This too has turned around as better relations are fostered. This is the type of success story which should be presented as a good example, rather than continually beating the war drum of discontent.

The truth about Thanksgiving is that it is a celebration of success not of conquest. It is a reminder that we all need to be thankful for everyday that we all see the sun rise. It is a celebration of the fact that we can find common ground with anyone of any race, creed, color or religion.  It is a success story, not a story of failure and certainly not a story of crimes against humanity.

-Happy Thanksgiving

Most people think pirates are a thing of the distant past, live in Fairy Tales, wear a patch over one eye and sport a hook on one hand. At one time, part of this may have been true. Whats even more real,  is the fact that pirates still exist. Not only that, it seems they have never been a thing of the past.

In 1980, I was deployed in the Gulf during the Iran Hostage Crisis on board the USS Wichita AOR-1. After our stay in the Gulf, we sailed towards Thailand for some liberty. During his time there were messages coming in indicating that Viet Nameses refugees were being picked up in sea lanes near the Thai coast. It was only five short years since Saigon had fallen and people were still trying to get out of the country. So much for communism.

While sailing into Thailand we encountered a boat load of refugees. Coincidentally as we were approaching their boat with the intent to rescue, they were being pushed away from a Thai fishing trawler. The Thai fisherman were not trying to assist the refugees, but had changed roles and were now pirates who were robbing the Viet Namese who were on board this small boat. The Thai Pirates had stripped the refugees of everything they had left in the world, except the clothes on their backs. So hearing of the recent piracy committed by Somali Pirates, comes of no surprize to me.

The Somali Pirates have been very busy over the last few years, and according to various news services they have triggered an entire new enconomy on the Somali coast. They have seized large cargos including oil, and the companies who have lost cargo and goods to the Pirates are more than happy to pay large sums of money for Ransoms that are in the millions of dollars to retrieve cargo and the crews of the ships that are being held hostage. It has also been reported that the hostages are being treated well and the pirates have even gone as far as hiring caterers to prepare western style food for the hostages. Not a bad idea from a political standpoint.

In an even stranger twist, right wing radio icon, Rush Limbaugh reported that he had given the pirates the idea of increasing their ransom demands. Claiming that he had mentioned this in one of his afternoon radio shows, saying that the pirates were not asking enough for the cargo that they had taken. He also alluded to the possibility that the information was  picked up by the pirates who followed his suggestion, by demanding an increased ransom on an oil tanker that they had recently siezed. This story is however unconfirmed and strictly rumor at this point.

The pirates are also using a mix of old time tactics and modern technology to complete their objectives. The Indian Navy reported that they had intercepted an sunk a “mother ship” that the Somali Pirates were using as a base of operations, and dispatching smaller vessels to intercept target ships. Once they arrive at their target, (Much like their 17th and 18th century predecessors) they use fast boats, grappeling hooks and weapons to board the undefended merchant ships which fall as easy prey against such an attack.

It is unclear at this point as to what the international communities response will be to the situation. Both international law and maritime law can become complicated when (and if ) the situation comes to an armed response. So it may be some time before the Pirates are stopped and/or brought to justice.

In another story, it was reported that Somali Pirates had also been attacking Thai fishing vessels, I guess all is fair in love, war and piracy.

Chicago is just eating up Barrack Obama, as the Chicago media reported online today. After managing to remain out of site for most of the week, President-elect Obama left out of his transition office this afternoon to grab lunch at a Chicago landmark. Obama left the Federal Building in the Loop at 12:22 p.m. and dined at Manny’s deli on the Near South Side, a place where I have dined several times myself. While there a dozen or so people were already waiting outside. The president-elect spent a little over ten minutes inside the restaurant, where he was joined by friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett. Diners repeatedly shouted “congratulations,” as Obama ordered lunch and worked the room wearing a topcoat and scarf.Asked about a federal bailout for the auto industry, Obama responded, “I got the corned beef.”Earlier, he had asked for “Manny’s mustard” on his sandwich. As part of his take-out order, Obama left with two cherry pies, three corned beef sandwiches and paid cash for his tab, $48.34. Obama shook dozens of hands and posed for photos with the patrons and staff. He signed a photo of himself and Mayor Richard Daley that had been taken in the deli after he won the U.S. Senate primary in 2004.Owner Ken Raskin, whose father was Manny, had asked Obama to sign the photo for him.”I’m just glad to be out,” he added at one point.

Many of the patrons got up from their tables to shake Obama’s hand. Some people hugged him. Saying,”I love you,” one of them called out, prompting an “I love you back” from Obama. Greeting a group of police officers seated in the restaurant, Obama remarked, “Chicago’s finest right there.”After he greeted a group of business students and their instructor, one of the people at the table screamed in delight. The president-elect’s last public appearance was Monday, when he met with Sen. John McCain in Chicago. Because of the tighter security precautions around him, the media had not seen much of the president-elect all week.

Major Stillman;Commanded 275 men at the Battle of Old Man’s Creek in the Black Hawk War of 1832

Site Link; http://majmchenry.googlepages.com/oldmanscreek

I spoke to the publisher today and the final draft of “Last Stand at Old Man’s Creek” will be arriving in about a month or so. I’m personally very excited to see the draft and will make any corrections if needed. I am also relieved that the true story of what happened that day will finnaly be exposed and set straight. Major Stillman and his men have taken the brunt of the incident for nearly two hundred years and I’m am pleased to be the one to clear their names once and for all.

 The following information was re by the National Guard Association of Illinois, This proposal is more reflective of civil service or civilian retirement programs. I completely support this effort.

-Gene Stevens

A group looking at military compensation has recommended dramatic changes in themilitary retirement system. The recommendations are part of the second volume put out by members of the 10th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation. The first volume, released in March,looked at cash compensation. Retired AirForce Brig. Gen. Jan D. “Denny” Eakle was director of the panel, and she briefed the press during a Pentagon news conference Aug. 5. General Eakle said critics of the current military retirement system say it is not equitable, it is not flexible and it is not efficient. “There is a perception that the system we havetoday is inequitable because only 15 percent of all enlisted personnel and less than half of officers will ever receive anything in the system,” she said. Reserve-component personnel also believe the current system discriminates against them, especially at a time when reserve forcesare being called on more, she said. The retirement proposal would offer a defined benefit, defined contributions, “gate”pays and separation pays.The defined benefit would be 2.5 percent of the average basic pay for the highest 36months of the individual’s career multiplied by the number of years of service, with servicemembers vested at 10 years of service. Payments to retirees would begin at age 60 for those with less than 20 years of service and at age 57 for those with 20 years of service or more. Servicemembers could opt for an immediate annuity, but the payout would follow the Federal Employee Retirement System methodology: a 5 percent penalty per year for early withdrawal.The defined contribution portion would  be an automatic government-funded Thrift  Savings Plan. Servicemembers would not have to match any government payment.The government would not put any money in for the first year, but would put in 2 percent of base pay for two years of service, 3 percent for three and four years of service, and 5 percent for five and more years of service.Again, this would be vested after 10 years of service. The military also would make “gate pays”to servicemembers who reach specific years of service. These would vary by years of service and skills, General Eakle said. “This is a payment made for achieving aparticular year of service,” she explained. “And within the services, they would have the flexibility to vary this by year of service as well as by skill. That way, they could beginto shape the skills by dragging people further into their career by offering them an incentive.”Finally, the system would include separation pay to servicemembers that would also vary by years of service and skills. “The separation payments would be madeavailable by the service to members that they wished to entice to leave,” General Eakle said. This would be a permanent tool services would have available, she added. The panel used a Rand Corporation computer model to test the recommendations,but General Eakle said the panel members would like a large-scale test in the Defense Department. “Therefore, the recommendation of this QRMC is that the Department of Defense  conduct a multi-year test of this system,” General Eakle said. “The way the test would work is this: All four services would beasked to identify some skills that have different types of retention patterns — some that stay not very long, some that stay longer periods of time — and ones they wish to influence.”The test would offer people in those skills in the first eight years of service an opportunityto volunteer. “If someone was selected for the test, they would be paid all of the TSP that they should have earned up until that point, and it willbe put in their TSP account for them,” she said. “The program’s vesting rules would in fact apply to all those individuals. So should they achieve 10 years of service while they are in the test, they would fully own it.”At the end of the test period, people whoare in the new system who wish to revert to the original retirement system would be allowed to do so, she said. Any change in the retirement system would require action by Congress. DOD officials said they will carefully examine the panel’s recommendations and then decide if hey should move forward. The study will take at least six to 12 months, so any decision would be made by the next administration, DOD officials added.

HARPER’s FERRY VIRGINIA

I believe to have interfered as I have done, . . . in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong, but right. Now, if it be deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children, and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I submit: so let it be done.”

- John Brown

On October 16th, 1859. John Brown and a handful of followers went to Harpers Ferry Virginia with the intention of attacking the federal arsenal that was located there. In what seemed to be a wild scheme, Brown intended to take the arsenal and trigger a general uprising of slaves who he assumed would rebel and come to his aid. Brown was wrong. However the incident at Harper’s Ferry would in the long run have the exact effect that he had hoped. The attack on Harper’s Ferry would also be host to some very unusual coincidences that would almost seem impossible but true. The story speaks for itself.

       About 11 p.m., Sunday, October 16, 1859, Brown, accompanied by 14 white men from Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Maine, Indiana and Canada, and 5 negroes from Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, some 20 insurgents, all fully armed, crossed the Potomac into Virginia at Harper’s Ferry, overpowered the watchmen at the Baltimore & Ohio railroad bridge, the United States armory and arsenal near the Baltimore & Ohio, and the rifle factory above the town on the Shenandoah, and placed guards at those points and at the street corners of the town. Brown established himself in the thick-walled brick building at the armory gate, one room of which was the quarters of the watchman and the other contained a fire-engine; he then sent six men, including the spy Cook, under Captain Stevens, to seize the principal citizens in the neighborhood and incite the negroes to rise in insurrection. This party broke into the house of Col. L. W. Washington, about five miles from Harper’s Ferry, about 1:30 a. m. of the 17th, and forced him and four of his servants to accompany them to Harper’s Ferry, he in his own carriage and followed by one of his farm wagons, which they seized. On their way back, at about 3 a.m., they captured Mr. Allstadt and six of his servants, placing arms in the hands of the latter. On reaching Harper’s Ferry, Cook and five of the captured slaves were sent with Colonel Washington’s four-horse wagon to bring forward the arms, etc., deposited at the schoolhouse in Maryland.
       In the meantime Brown halted, for a time, an eastbound passenger train on the Baltimore & Ohio, one of his men killing the railroad guard at the bridge; he also captured, as they appeared on the streets in the early morning, some 40 citizens of Harper’s Ferry, whom he confined, with Messrs. Washington and Allstadt, in one room of the gate or engine house which he had selected as his fort or point of defense.
       News of these occurrences spread rapidly, and citizens and citizen soldiery, with arms, hastened from all the surrounding parts of Virginia and Maryland to resist this high-handed invasion of their homes and States. About 11 a.m., of the 17th, the Jefferson Guards, from Charlestown, arrived, soon followed by the Hamtramck and the Shepherdstown troop, from Shepherdstown, and Alburtis’ company from Martinsburg. These, under the command of Col. R. A. Baylor, forced the insurgents within the armory enclosure, which they surrounded by a cordon of pickets. Brown then withdrew his men into the gate house, which he proceeded to loophole and fortify, taking with him ten of the most prominent of his Virginia and Maryland captives, which he termed “hostages,” to insure the safety of his band. From openings in the building the insurgents fired upon all white people that came in sight.
       After sunset of the 17th, Capt. B. B. Washington’s company from Winchester, and three companies from Frederick City, Md., under Colonel Shriver, arrived; later came companies from Baltimore, under Gen. C. C. Edgerton, and a detachment of United States marines, commanded by Lieut. J. Green and Major Russell, accompanied by Lieut.-Col. R. E. Lee, of the Second United States cavalry (with his aide, Lieut. J. E. B. Stuart, of the First United States cavalry), who, happening to be at Arlington, his home, near Washington, had been ordered to take command at Harper’s Ferry, recapture the government armory and arsenal, and restore order. Colonel Lee halted the Baltimore troops at Sandy Hook, about a mile and a half east of Harper’s Ferry, directed the United States artillery companies (ordered from Fort Monroe) to halt in Baltimore, then crossed to Harper’s Ferry with the marines, disposed them in the armory grounds so as to prevent the escape of the insurgents, and awaited dawn of the 18th before attacking Brown’s stronghold, for fear of sacrificing the lives of the “hostages” in a midnight attack.
       Soon after daylight of the 18th, after having posted the volunteer troops so as to completely invest the armory grounds, and prepared for an assault upon Brown’s fort by the marines, Lee, under a flag by Lieutenant Stuart, made a written demand upon Brown to surrender himself, his associates and the prisoners they had taken, with the assurance that “if they will peaceably surrender themselves and restore the pillaged property, they shall be kept in safety to await orders of.the President …. That if he is compelled to take them by force he cannot answer for their safety.” Stuart was instructed to receive no counter propositions from Brown, and to say that if they accepted the proffered terms they must immediately give up their arms and release their prisoners. As Lee expected, Brown spurned the offered terms of surrender. At a given signal to this effect from Stuart, Lee ordered forward twelve marines, led by Lieutenant Green, that he had put under cover near the engine-house, three of them supplied with sledge hammers to break in the doors, to attack Brown’s party with bayonets, taking care not to injure the citizens held captive, nor the captured slaves unless they resisted. The storming party quickly attacked the doors, but Brown had barricaded them inside with the fire-engine and fastened them by ropes, so the sledges were of no avail. Lee then ordered forward reserves, with a heavy ladder for a battering ram, with which a portion of the door was dashed in and admission gained. Up to that time Brown’s fire had been harmless, but at the threshold one marine was mortally wounded. The others quickly ended the contest, bayoneting the insurrectionists that resisted, Lieutenant Green cutting down Brown with his sword. The whole affair was over in a few minutes, and the captured citizens and slaves were released. A party of marines under Stuart was then sent to the Kennedy farm, which captured pikes (said to have been over 1,000), blankets, tools, tents, and other necessaries for a campaign, which Brown had there stored. A party of Maryland troops secured from the schoolhouse, where Brown had deposited them, boxes of carbines and revolvers, and the horses and wagon of Colonel Washington, which Brown had sent there to bring his military supplies to Harper’s Ferry.

Brown was later tried and convicted fortreason and would be hung. The incident would send shock waves through the nation. The south would shutter at the possibility of a greater slave up rising and would be killed in their beds while sleeping. The stage would be set and the seperation between north and south was one step away from total war.

The Longest Day was made in 1962 and produced by Daryl F Zanuck. It tells the story of the allied invasion of Normandy France in june 1944. The movie has an all star cast, including John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Jeffery Hunter, Sal Mineo, Richard Burton and a host of thousands of extras and supporting actors. The autheticity is of the highest caliber. The fild was made very shortly after world war two and access to authentic uniform items and weapons were extremely easy, not to mention that information about the war was readily available and may of the actors had actually served in the war. I first saw this film in the theaters when it came out (I guess I’m dating myself), it worked very well on the big screen and was presented in a black and white format, though I understand that a colorized version does exist. The producer chose black and white due to its widespread use during the war. And it does in fact look great in this format.  The information that it conveys is very detailed and looks at both sides of the conflict from an allied perspective and a German perspective. I also gives the average GI (term used for the American Soldier) his due and also tells his story.

The downside to the movie is that it is done in such a way as to make it viewer friendly and tends to use a little tounge and cheek humor to show the fog of war. This technique made it look as though it was more of a good time than the tradgedy that it really was. In this area it pales in comparrison to movies like Saving Private Ryan, Flags of our Fathers and the Thin Red Line which shows the horror and fear of war. But despite these shortcomings, I still give this movie a very high rating of FOUR STARS.

I was privilaged to witness (on CSPAN) the promotion of Ann Dunwoody to the rank of Army Four Star General. In the very emotional ceremony, US Army General George Casey awarded Dunwoody her new rank, forging a new era for women in the US Military.General Dunwoody’s 33-year Army career was peppered with military firsts. She was the first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division. She was also the first female general officer at Fort Bragg. She was also among the Army’s first female three-star generals. The Senate confirmed her four-star rank in July of this year. There are currently twenty one female general officers in the Army and nearly sixty throughout the army.  Dunwoody stated that “while she was the first, she will not be the last female four-star general”.

Barrack Obama has become a major attraction in Chicago. Local news in our area has reported that Obama has gained the undivided attention of tourists who now pay to get a glimpse at his residence, to vendors selling Obama related items and even the pizza place where Obama gets his favorite pizza from, which is reported to be garbage pizza (a pie with everything jumbled on top). It is also rumored that Hillary Clinton also made it into Chicago under the radar, and was completely missed (much to their embarassment) by Chicago media. The possible subject matter of her meeting with Obama,  is the Secretary of State position, which it is rumored that Senator Clinton will be taking over.

In another story the Chicago Police Department has been at the beckoned call of the Obama group to provide protection for the President elect. The Superintendent of Police was heard to say that the Secret Service has requested their assistance and has a tendency to change their plans hourly, whih has most certainly placed a strain on the Police Department in a city where the crime rate has been soaring in recent months.  The Superintendent also said, that Police Officers are working on a buy back basis on their off time.